Govt rolls out mandatory quality norms for smart meters, welding rods

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

DPIIT) on July 14. These items cannot be produced, sold/traded, imported and stocked unless they bear the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark, the notification stated. Now, manufacturing, storing and sale of non-BIS certified products are prohibited as per the BIS Act, 2016.

Violation of the provision of the BIS Act can attract imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for the first offence. In case of second and subsequent offences, the fine will increase to a minimum of Rs 5 lakh and extend up to 10 times the value of goods or articles. «These recently notified two new QCOs for smart meters and welding rods and electrodes will come into force from six months from the date of notification,» an official statement said.

The department is focusing on establishing a quality control regime for its key products such as insulated flasks, potable water-bottles, flame-lighters, smart meters, and wielding rods.QCO is a mandatory certification scheme, whereby compliance to specified list of Indian standards applicable to the concerned product is made compulsory by the central government under various considerations including public interest, protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of environment, prevention of unfair trade practices and national security. «DPIIT in continuous consultation with BIS and stakeholders has been identifying key products for requiring implementation of QCO. This has led to the initiation of development of 64 new QCOs covering 317 product standards,» it said.